dayvid

Fab weekend on the syndi - chose the windward end on a easterly and felt confident but by dawn I'd only heard one fish crash through the night deep working the bay on my left.
I sat it out until 9am but couldn't believe they weren't having it elsewhere so I reeled in and drove to the other end (back of the wind) to see if they had popped up on top after eating down there at first light.
After a quick walk about and speaking to the one guy down there it seemed they weren't there so I hurried back vowing to make the most of the spot I had, they just had to be there at some point.
Walking back in the swim late morning I see one straight away passing my rods along the margin going into the bay, then another going the other way, I'd made the right choice afterall.
I shot up a climbing tree to be greeted by many fish - basking in the sun, some of them proper units - right down the end of the bay sitting in a 5 yard gap between overhanging trees.
Over hours I fed mixers into the scum that had gathered up against the reeds and waiting for my chance to wade into the reeds and cast out  my hookbaits but fake mixers and cut down boiles were either being rejected or just missed completely.  At a loss I went back to the bivvy and got my bag of bagels, a size 4 hook and off for another go.
The fish had all but gone by this point but I tried for one in the scum line but quickly lost sight of the bait and that fish drifted away, I felt gutted all those hours feeding and having little casts here and there have lead to nothing.  I was about to get out the water when I see one more fish drift in and under the scum line so I put on some fresh bagel and make a cast a couple of feet from the scum. A head pops back out then moves at speed for the bait, smashes it so I guess he's got it, strike and hang on for dear life as it tries to power away but I can't let it go anywhere, it tore through the right tree line but thankfully I just pulled like a mad man and got it back somehow, was lucky as I could feel it crating on the branches several times, proper heart in mouth stuff.  Epic battle 26.14 Common in the net, made up.
 

 
The next day was a real slog waiting all day for that one chance, somehow after not getting it right several times I finally managed to hook one of the stragglers like the day before but sadly lost it to a hook pull just when I felt that I was getting on top of what had been an epic and scary battle.
Gutting but loved the trip can't wait to get back - I'm having em FACT - so buzzing for it this year.
Best thing of the trip I saw my target fish, must be 4ft long, jet black linear, old as the hills, he's alive and kicking, and he's got some very large friends, more than I knew about. 👀


 

Had a run and got soaked 🙄
 

Sunrise out the bivvy 

A somewhat different view from the bivvy for me been to a 4 day music festival just got back yesterday and I’m off for a 3 day fishing trip tomorrow somewhere in Somerset.  🤔
 
Had a great time with family and friends and drank very sensibly what with them charging £6 a pint  😳 so i took 3 hip flasks filled with dark Rum each afternoon and evening 
 

I make sure she has shade, and can reach the water for a paddle.
I hope that is good news then.
 
Not as bright today, and I've been on the receiving end of a heavy shower or two, one while I was walking Sky the 2miles around the lake.

Chainsaw & chipper. Not what you need 15hrs into a 36hr session 
My rods are the other side of the trees.

Don't need drugs Mate, I hardly even drink.
I seem to pick out shapes in the trees, there is one that looks like Wile E Coyote.

Weather was all over the place up at this venue on the mountain. 

As many will have noticed I havnt been fishing in several months now and probably not more than 4 times in the last 18 months , but this Bank holiday I made the effort , and was truly rewarded.
Started with a 33lb Mirror then a 14lb Mirror, followed by a 33lb Common then to finish off the Bank holiday a 44lb Common

17lb 38lb 

I'm still fishing until Friday.
 
Went quiet today, but had this one at 24lb, 5 rod lengths out this evening, they do like the Monster Crab.

Thanks Mate.
 
As an aside, I was sent the stocking picture of the 21lb fish by the syndicate manager, and I am seriously shocked, it went in in January THIS year, have a look.

I'm honestly blown away!
I lost a fish after the 26, where the fish ran over the middle rod, when I recast I didn't check the line and got smashed.
I recast it while Michael Hawes was down chatting and just after he left I had the dark 21lb mirror, on a different pop-up, a pink Nutty Bait. 
I hadn't even sorted that out and had another take, this was 29lb, back on the Monster Crab.

Loving life right now, another fish at 26lb 10oz, you've guessed, Rod Hutchinson Monster Crab pop-up in a PVA bag of Monster Crab pellets only over a bed of hemp.

Good angling mate and what a stunning fish 👍
I've done one more at 14lb, I couldn't be bothered with a self take but had this one this morning just as it was getting light

 

Rod Hutchinson Monster Crab pop-up working again.
Proper wake-up call this morning, an absolute screamer from around 40metres out and a clear spot in the weed, so I can fish my preferred running leads, 27lb 8oz
 

Off the mark with this14lb 12oz common 👍

I had one last weekend, 23lb, first time out with the new rods, and it was the rod with the new reel, (I have disproved the myth about blanking because of new tackle) 

21lb common 👍 
Done 9 nights in the last 2 weeks, had an amazing time and met some great people 🤙 lost 4 more carp and had a few more bream on the bank 🤣
Went thru 25kg of boilie and 10kg of tigers 🤣
I'm all out of bait now, need to order some more basemix ingredients and get rolling again 👍

13lb 12oz fully scalled 🤙

20lb 4oz mirror

25lb common
 

The new bait doing justice 🤙

26lb 8oz common

18lb 12oz mirror
 

I'm in this month, a lot of hard work for the result so far.
4 hours of raking and baiting with hemp, sweetcorn and boilies on Thursday, this morning I had one of this years stock fish at 15lb on sweetcorn. It went in in January at 11lb 4oz.
I knew there were fish in the area, the young coot that was diving on my baits kept on coming up looking panicked, running away then return to dive again, so the run was not a surprise.